Different Gotz Doll Categories
Franz and Marianne Götz have been designing and producing Götz-Puppen since 1950. Their first dolls were made of paper-mache until 1957, which is when the rotational molding machine process entered the manufacturing picture, forever changing both the method and the material types dolls were made from. Götz, one of the first German doll manufacturers to install a rotational molding machine in their plant, would now begin producing vinyl play dolls at this time. Rotational molding allowed Götz not only to offer different dolls (i.e. with different facial features) along with different doll body types, ''it also allowed Götz to meet, increase and expand desire and production demands; essentially solidifying their place as one of the largest, leading German doll manufacturers in the business. To learn more about this history of Götz, please check out this Götz Doll Wiki article. Brief History of the Different Doll Categories As mentioned previously, in its early years of production, Götz primarily produced ''only PLAY DOLLS. However, 1989 forever changed the way Götz would design and produce its dolls; as a result of Götz's collaborative, producer-designer relationship with doll artists Sylvia Natterer and Carin Lossnitzer, a new type of doll would now be introduced: THE ARTIST DOLL. These dolls, which are designed as mini-reproductions of original doll artisan pieces, are intended as true designer dolls. Thus, from 1989 until 2001, Götz only produced two different types of dolls: PLAY DOLLS and ARTIST DOLLS. However, in 2001, Götz officially added a second type of PLAY DOLL: HANDCRAFTED PLAY DOLLS(2). These dolls, which are designed for older children to play with and collect, are an "in-between" type of doll (if you will) between a regular PLAY DOLL and a true ARTIST DOLL. HANDCRAFTED PLAY DOLLS have facial molds sculpted by renown doll artisans but not intended to strictly be a DESIGNER DOLL as they are also created for child play. Therefore, for indexing purposes, Limited Edition PLAY DOLLS (such as "Marianne Designer Collection" dolls) produced prior to 2001 are retro-actively classified on this wiki as HANDCRAFTED PLAY DOLLS (even though they were not originally referred to as this when they were introduced). In summary, Götz classifies its dolls according to two basic categories, which contains three different types of doll: PLAY DOLLS (which includes HANDCRAFTED PLAY DOLLS) and ARTIST DOLLS. Dolls within each of these categories will have different characteristics, as outlined below. 1. Play Dolls - ''Dolls Designed to Stimulate Creative Child Play 'Play Dolls have been specifically designed and created with materials capable of withstanding vigorous child play(1). '''Play Dolls may share similar or different facial molds; some will have different physical characteristics, such as eye color, facial coloring, hair color, hair length, etc. These dolls are typically mass-produced and are not produced in limited editions/quantities, nor are they designed by a specific Doll Artist. If a play doll's torso is signed, it is often generically signed or signed in dedication to someone and may/may not appear along with a signing date/year or year of doll production. Hair and Eyes Play Dolls primarily have "rooted" hair, or hair that is machine-sewn directly into the scalp of the doll's head. Gotz believes "rooted" hair is best for Play Dolls as it is very durable; easy to clean and care for; and generally withstands vigorous pulling/tugging. Rooted-haired dolls tend to be an excellent choice for younger children, including babies. Some Play Dolls may also have a wig; a "wig" refers to hair that is attached to a wig cap which is then glued directly to the exterior surface of a doll's scalp. Wigged-hair, which is not as durable as rooted hair, tends to be a better choice for slightly older children who are looking to dress and style their dolls more than for example, infants, who are most likely to drag and pull dolls around by only their hair. Most Play Dolls will either have "sleepy-eyes" or "fixed eyes." * SLEEPY-EYES close when a doll is laid flat and open when a doll is moved to an upright position. Play Doll sleepy-eyes are typically made of high-quality plastics; eye colors will vary but typically two types of eye designs are seen in Play Doll eyes: pinwheel and decal eye designs. * FIXED EYES are eyes that are "fixed" (or "stationary") in place. Fixed eyes may either be handpainted on the exterior surface of the eye, or they may be inset. Doll Bodies Soft-bodied play dolls are typically made of polyester filling/foam with muslin or cotton cloth bodies; hard-bodied dolls are typically made of a high-quality vinyl (includes both "soft" vinyl and "hard" vinyl); some vinyl play doll bodies in the late 1980s/early 1990s were made of PVC, which is a dangerous and toxic chemical. According to the Department of Health and Human Services website, "'PVC''' contains dangerous chemical additives including phthalates, lead, cadmium, and/or organotins, which can be toxic to your child's health. These toxic additives can leach out or evaporate into the air over time, posing unnecessary dangers to children."'' Gotz Dolls has always been committed to providing safe, high-quality baby dolls made from the finest materials. Their VINYL baby dolls are phosphate and AZO free, and they are tested according to the strictest guidelines and conform to all European testing standards. Outfits Play Doll outfits are well-crafted and made from high-quality fabrics and materials; outfits are primarily mass-produced and are typically designed more in mind for durability and care than for appearance. Wigged dolls, which tend to be made for older children, tend to have slightly higher-quality and slightly more elaborate (i.e. feature numerous layers or accessories) outfits than rooted-haired Play Dolls. '' ''In terms of value, Play Dolls tend to be the least expensive type of Gotz Doll offered within the Gotz Doll market. '2. Handcrafted Play Dolls - ''Designed to Collect, Handcrafted to Play ''All Handcrafted Play Dolls are dolls designed and crafted not only to stimulate and encourage creative child play, but they are also designed to be a "beginner" collector doll.'' Handcrafted Play Dolls contain two types of dolls: #Limited/Special Edition Dolls produced ''by '''Götz.' #Limited/Special Edition Dolls '''designed by renowned Doll Artisans (but which are not considered true "Artist Dolls" or designer dolls). Dolls in this category are Limited or Special Edition dolls: these means these dolls are produced with a limited total edition/quantity number of dolls produced. 'Each HANDCRAFTED PLAY DOLL comes with an authentic ''Certificate of Authenticity and a special wrist bracelet that identifies them as a Handcrafted Play Doll. Handcrafted Play Dolls, unless otherwise specified, are limited to one year of production(2). '''Handcrafted Dolls are Signed AND Numbered Handcrafted Play Dolls typically have''' torsos that are stamped and/or physically SIGNED and NUMBERED with where in the total limited edition/quantity of dolls ever produced they were produced in (in this format: "___/___"). Note: not all signed dolls are limited edition dolls; for a doll to be considered "limited" it must also be numbered. '''Hair and Eyes Handcrafted dolls may have hair made from a variety of high-quality materials, such as kanekalon-denyl fiber, human hair, yarn, etc. As with regular play dolls, dolls will either have rooted or wigged hair. The type of kanekalon fiber used for a wigged doll is considered a higher quality than the fiber used on dolls with rooted hair. A variety of eye types and materials can be found in Handcrafted Play Dolls. Some dolls will have "sleepy-eyes" made from a hand-blown glass crystal while others may be made from a higher-quality plastic than that used for regular Play Dolls' ''eyes. Some dolls have "fixed, handpainted" doll eyes, typically on the exterior surface of the eye, while some have "fixed: hand-blown glass crystal" inset eyes (ex. Marianne Götz uses both "handblown glass crystal sleepy-eyes" and "fixed: handpainted eyes" in her line of dolls). '''Doll Bodies' In some cases, especially on play dolls produced in the 1980s, you will not notice much of a difference between in the materials used on soft-bodied regular Play Doll and Handcrafted Play Dolls. Some handcrafted play doll baby dolls will have weighted-pellet doll bodies; this weight simulates the weight of a real-life infant/young child. All-vinyl handcrafted play dolls are typically made of a higher-grade plastic than regular play dolls. In some cases, weighted doll bodies can also be Outfits Handcrafted play doll outfits will be made from very high-quality materials and fabrics. Oftentimes outfits are made from real leather, silk, or chiffon and feature very elaborate designs and/or multiple layers. Delicate lace is frequently used and outfits may feature multiple pieces and an array of accessories. Some handcrafted play dolls will have outfits specifically designed with fabrics and materials chosen by their designing Doll Artist. In terms of value, Handcrafted Play Dolls are worth more than regular Play Dolls and less than Artist Dolls within the Götz doll market. Factors that determine price are: (1) the desireability of the doll itself; (2) the demand for the dolls designed by the doll artist, (3) the total number of dolls produced (i.e. the lower the quantity, the more desireable the doll). '3. Artist or Designer Dolls - True Collector Dolls' Artist Dolls are true Collector Dolls; these dolls are not designed for play but for display only(1). Artist Dolls are mini-reproductions of original doll artisan masterpieces; they are pieces are art intended for display only. Doll artists are very involved in the productions of these mini-masterpieces from handpainting the doll's physical characteristics to creating the outfit's design down to the selection of fabrics and materials. Artist dolls are very unique in appearance and are produced in very specific, limited quantities. Once the total, pre-determined number of dolls manufactured is reached, that doll's facial sculpt is then destroyed so no future reproductions of a doll can be made. All Artist Dolls come with an original Certificate of Authenticity. Some dolls are physically signed somewhere on their body (i.e. neck, torso, back, stomache, etc); others have a "signature" engraved within their neckstamp marking, and some dolls come with brochures that are signed. Newer Artist Dolls come with a burgundy wrist bracelet. Hair and Eyes Nearly all Artist Dolls will have wigged hair made from very high-quality fibers and materials including, but not limited to, mohair and human hair, etc. Some designer dolls, such as Sylvia Natterer's FANOUCHE AND HER FRIENDS, have rooted hair (i.e. hair that is inserted into the doll's scalp vs. glued to an exterior wig cap) as do Sasha Dolls by Sasha Morgenthaler. Artist Dolls typically have hand-painted facial features (ex. cheeks, eyebrows, lips, etc), and their eye type/material can vary from "fixed: hand-painted doll eyes" to "fixed: hand-blown crystal glass eyes." These dolls are very unique; some of these dolls have facial expressions typical of character dolls. Doll Bodies The vinyl used on Artist Dolls is the highest form of vinyl possible and available. Dolls may be made completely of vinyl; have doll bodies made from a mixture of cloth/vinyl (i.e. they are "breastplate" dolls), or they may be soft-bodied dolls without joints. Articulation types will also vary. Typically, soft-bodied dolls will have pellet-weighted torsos. Outfits Artist Doll outfits are typically made only from the highest quality fabrics and materials available. Each outfit is personally designed by the Doll Artist themselves and may even be personally handcrafted by experienced craftsman. Some dolls may come with original accessories and/or multiple clothing pieces. In terms of value, Artist Dolls are the most expensive type of Götz Doll produced within the Götz doll market. Summary Götz is a leading German doll maker of some of the best dolls possible and available on the doll market. Regardless of whether you are looking for a simple child's play doll, a doll you can both collect and play with, or whether you are looking to collect dolls created by your favorite Doll Artist, each Götz doll is created and designed with love, care, function, quality, and durability in mind. Götz is renown for its well-crafted, high-quality dolls so regardless of the doll you ultimately end up choosing, with a Götz doll, you cannot go wrong! References # Dollation.com provides a good description of each category of Götz Doll. # This information comes from the 2002 Götz Manufaktur brochure. 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